Summer of the Seventeenth Doll offers a slice of life in a working class Melbourne household. One of the reasons that the play was such a success was because Lawler, the playwright, was able to hold the interest of the audience throughout the play. He managed to develop tension in each act by placing characters in situations of conflict where their contrasting styles of communication created tension. The tension builds in each act of the …showed first 75 words of 1208 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1208 total…the characters and the audiences into situations that cause tension. Lawler manages to intertwine the changing relationships of the characters, the ramifications of this, the character's expectations of the summer as well as the dialogue to create a play that has much tension. Through his development of tension, Lawler was able to keep the audience interested and in doing so allowed them fully enjoy the captivating play that is The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.